Improved protective garment with airbags

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a protective garment comprising: a belt, adapted to be positioned around the waist of a user, two leggings, each legging comprising an upper portion intended to be wrapped around a user&#39;s thigh, a lower portion intended to be wrapped around a user&#39;s calf, and an intermediate portion connecting the upper and lower portions, a plurality of airbags for safety, and a triggering device for inflating the airbags, characterized in that the intermediate portion of each legging has a notch which comes over the front of the user&#39;s knee when the legging is in position around the user&#39;s leg, and in that the upper portion and lower portion of each legging each comprise at least one airbag adjacent to the notch of the intermediate portion.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a protective garment comprising inflatable pouches or airbags, which a user can position around his or her waist and legs for safety when performing a dangerous activity such as motorcycling, skiing, or even horseback riding.

STATE OF THE ART

There are known protective garments which are equipped with inflatable pouches or airbags, used for example for protection when motorcycling or skiing. In particular, protective vests have been developed, comprising at least one airbag on the front and another on the back to protect the user's chest.

While it is true that the major portion of serious accidents on two-wheelers result from damage caused to the upper body, these accidents represent only a small portion of two-wheeler accidents where the driver is harmed. In fact, 80% of accidents on two-wheelers cause damage to the lower part of the body, in other words to the legs, for example by causing fractures or dislocations.

Protective pants fitted with airbags have been proposed which can be pulled on by a user over street pants. For example, known documents WO 200011979 and GB2352162 describe coveralls for motorcycle riders comprising a vest and protective pants, the latter being provided with airbags and able to be pulled on over the feet.

However, these pants are not well received by users due to the difficulty of putting them on and the time required.

In addition, they constitute an outfit which usually replaces the original street attire, obliging the rider to wear the protective outfit between two legs of a trip while performing other activities, which is a major drawback.

Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,992 discloses protective equipment made of inflatable protective strips, which can be put on over the street attire of a user. Given the large number of protective strips to be positioned, it is probable that the time required for the user to put on this equipment is as long as for the pants described above, and discourages its use.

In addition, one can see that the airbags of all the equipment presented above cover a large area of the user's body, in order to maximize protection. However, in the event of an inadvertent triggering of inflation of the airbags, these can interfere with user mobility and in fact can even potentially cause accidents.

PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

The invention aims to at least partially overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

In particular, one object of the invention is to provide a protective garment which is simple and quick to put on, and which provides improved protection for the user.

While remaining aesthetic, this garment must be able to be put on and taken off quickly and easily over street attire, to allow preserving an original outfit suitable for the day's activities and be worn only while practicing the so-called “risky” activity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a protective garment comprising airbags adapted to protect the user without potentially causing accidents in the event of an inadvertent triggering of their inflation.

In this regard, the invention relates to a protective garment comprising:

-   -   a belt, adapted to be positioned around the waist of a user,     -   two leggings, each legging comprising an upper portion intended         to be wrapped around a user's thigh, a lower portion intended to         be wrapped around a user's calf, and an intermediate portion         connecting the upper and lower portions,     -   a plurality of safety airbags, and     -   a triggering device adapted to trigger inflation of the airbags,         characterized in that the intermediate portion of each legging         has a notch adapted to come over the front of the user's knee         when the legging is in position around the user's leg,         and in that the upper portion and lower portion of each legging         each comprise at least one airbag arranged adjacent to the notch         of the intermediate portion.

Advantageously, but optionally, the protective garment according to the invention further comprises at least one of the following features:

-   -   each airbag may be adapted to have a thickness of between 3 and         6 cm once inflated.     -   the lower portion of each legging may comprise an additional         airbag arranged opposite the first relative to the first when         the legging is in position around the user's leg.     -   the upper portion of each legging may comprise an additional         airbag positioned at a distance from the first so as to be on         the outer side of the user's thigh when the legging is in         position around the user's leg,     -   the additional airbag of the upper portion of each legging may         be adapted to have a thickness of between 3 and 8 cm once         inflated.     -   the lower and upper portions of each legging may comprise a         fastening device chosen from the group consisting of:         hook-and-loop strips, and several rows of snap-fasteners,     -   the triggering device may comprise a cartridge of compressed         air, an airbag supply circuit connecting the airbags to the         cartridge, and a control unit adapted to control the opening of         the cartridge of compressed air.     -   the triggering device may further comprise at least one among a         speed or acceleration sensor, or comprise an interface for         connecting the electronic triggering circuit to a triggering         device of another protective garment.     -   The garment may have a notch adapted to come over the crotch of         the user when the garment is in position on the user.

The invention also relates to the use of a protective garment according to the above description, when motorcycling, skiing, parachuting, or horseback riding.

The protective garment according to the invention has a structure which allows it to be put on easily and quickly by a user, by wrapping the upper and lower portions of each legging around the thigh and calf respectively. In particular, it is not necessary to put it on by the feet or to have to take shoes off.

Due to the shape of the leggings and the arrangement of the airbags, optimal protection is ensured for the user. In fact, protection for the knee is provided by the airbags located one on either side of the notch of each legging. Once the airbags are inflated, the knee is at the bottom of a recess defined by the airbags, which ensures its protection. However, the absence of an airbag at the knee makes it possible to avoid reducing knee mobility in the event of an inadvertent triggering of the airbags and therefore to avoid creating stiffness which could cause accidents.

The other airbags are advantageously positioned on the areas most likely to be affected during an accident, namely the back of the calf and an area located at the back and on the outer side of the thigh.

Once inflated, the thickness of this last airbag is adapted so that it does not prevent the leg from at least partially bending.

The user's crotch is not protected because this area is rarely affected during a two-wheeler accident. On the other hand, this lack of protection makes it possible to maintain control of the two-wheeler in the event of an inadvertent triggering of the airbags.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, which is purely illustrative and non-limiting, and which is to be read with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 schematically represents an example of a protective garment according to one embodiment of the invention, positioned on a user,

FIG. 2 schematically represents an example of a protective garment according to one embodiment of the invention, in the deployed position,

FIG. 3 schematically represents the protection for the knee of a user once the airbags have been inflated,

FIGS. 4a to 4c schematically represent several embodiments of a device for triggering the airbags.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AT LEAST ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a protective garment 1 is represented which can be used to protect a user for example when using two-wheelers, especially motorcycles, and also when horseback riding, skiing, or performing other board, blade, or roller sports, or even parachuting.

This protective garment 1 is in the form of pants, or more precisely overpants, in other words preferably put on over the pants of a user.

The protective garment 1 comprises a belt 10 adapted to surround the waist of a user U, and two leggings 20 connected to the belt 10. Each legging is adapted to surround the leg of a user, and in particular comprises an upper portion 21 adapted to be wrapped around the thigh, and a lower portion 22 adapted to be wrapped around the calf of the user.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the upper and lower portions of each legging 20 therefore are substantially in the form of strips which can be wrapped around the leg and closed by means of a closure device 29 located at the opposing ends of the strip.

This makes it easier to position the garment on the user than if it had to be put on over the feet.

Similarly, the belt 10 is preferably adapted so that it can be closed around the waist of the user, and therefore also is in the form of strip provided with a closure device 29 at its opposing ends.

The belt and the leggings are preferably formed of a fabric material having a high abrasion resistance, as is the case for example of polyester fiber fabrics marketed under the trade names Tergal, Dacron, Mylar (for example 600 denier polyester, the denier being the weight in grams of 9 meters of the fabric thread), or fabrics made of polyamide fibers marketed under the names Nylon or Tenax, the fabric preferably being coated with a coating to make it waterproof, for example silicone.

Taking as an example the need for most motorcycle riders to wear rain pants, special attention will be paid to a waterproof fabric, with the possibility of having additional strips of waterproof fabric that can be brought out in case of rain and attached to the garment by means of hook-and-loop strips on the visible parts exposed to the rain. The garment 1 can therefore also replace rain pants while further offering protection in terms of safety.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper 21 and lower 22 portions of each legging are connected together by an intermediate portion 23, typically in the form of a strip. This intermediate portion 23 is shaped so that the leg has a notch 24 over the front of the user's knee once the legging 20 is in position on the user's leg. The strip 23 is thus positioned at the back of the knee joint.

In addition, each legging 20 is integrally connected to the belt 10 by a strip 25 which is shaped so that the garment 1 has a notch 26 over the user's crotch.

The garment 1 further comprises a plurality of airbags 30, also known as inflatable pouches, as well as an airbag triggering system 40 (shown in FIGS. 3, 4 a and 4 b) adapted to trigger inflation of the airbags under predetermined circumstances.

The airbags 30 are positioned judiciously to provide protection for the knees of users. Thus, the upper portion 21 and lower portion 22 of each legging each comprise an airbag 30 arranged adjacent to the notch 24, two airbags 30 therefore being located one on either side of the notch.

Referring to FIG. 3, these airbags are dimensioned so that when inflated, their thickness is at least 3 cm. As a result, the knee is located inside a recess at least 3 cm deep defined by the airbags once inflated, corresponding to the thickness of the airbag plus the thickness of the leggings of the garment. This recess distances the knee from an impact surface.

In addition, the thickness of the airbags once inflated is preferably less than 8 cm, to prevent an inadvertent triggering causing loss of control of the vehicle (for example in the case of a side impact triggering a side airbag, after which the driver succeeds in regaining control of the vehicle).

However, in the event of an inadvertent triggering of inflation of the airbags 30, the mobility of the knee joint is preserved due to the absence of an airbag at the knee, which reduces the risk of an accident after such an unexpected inflation.

In addition, each legging preferably comprises two other airbags.

One airbag 30 is located on the lower portion 22 of each legging 20, being positioned to cover, and therefore protect, the back of the user's calf when the user is wearing the garment. It is understood that in order to obtain this result, the distance between the two airbags 30 of the lower portion 22 of the leggings depends on the size of the user and therefore on the size of the garment. In a manner that is known per se, one can propose a garment having several standardized sizes to correspond to people of various sizes.

Another airbag 30 is located on the upper portion 21 of each legging 20, being positioned so as to cover, and therefore protect, an area located on the outer side of the thigh. More specifically, this airbag preferably covers an area arranged on the quarter of the thigh circumference defined between the right side and the back side of the user. This airbag is therefore offset outwardly relative to the back of the thigh, so as to provide optimal protection for users of two-wheelers. It is in fact this area which is primarily affected in the event of an accident, not the back of the thigh.

Advantageously, but optionally, this airbag 30 is shaped so as to have a thickness of between 3 and 8 cm once inflated. Indeed, the thickness must exceed a minimum thickness to ensure that the thigh is protected, but must not exceed a maximum thickness beyond which the user would have difficulty bending his or her leg due to the position of this airbag.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 a to 4 c, the airbag triggering system 40 comprises a cartridge 41 of compressed air, which is advantageously positioned in a pocket in the belt which is user-accessible but which preferably can be closed to prevent the cartridge from coming out.

The triggering system 40 further comprises an airbag 30 supply circuit 42, connecting the cartridge 41 to each of the airbags.

In addition, the triggering system 40 comprises a control unit 43, adapted to control the opening of the cartridge of compressed air so that it inflates the airbags. This control unit advantageously comprises a computer (not shown) such as a processor, microprocessor, or microcontroller.

With reference to FIGS. 4a to 4c , several possibilities can be envisaged for triggering inflation of the airbags. According to a first possibility represented in FIG. 4a , the triggering system further comprises one or more sensors 44, which may comprise one or more speed sensors and one or more accelerometers.

The control unit 43 is then connected to the sensors and is adapted to order inflation of the airbags in the event of a deceleration greater than a predetermined threshold, possibly combined with an initial speed prior to the deceleration greater than another threshold. As a variant, for example when the garment is used when traveling on a two-wheeler, the vehicle may also comprise a speed sensor to which the control unit is connected, advantageously by a Bluetooth type of wireless connection. The control unit can then trigger inflation of the airbags when the difference between the vehicle speed and the garment speed exceeds a predetermined threshold.

In a variant represented in FIG. 4b , in the case of the garment being used while traveling on a two-wheeler, the garment may comprise a cable 45 for connection to the vehicle, which is connected to the control unit. In the event of the contact being broken or the voltage exceeding a given threshold, the control unit can trigger the airbags.

According to yet another variant represented in FIG. 4c , the garment 1 may be used with a protective vest that itself is equipped with airbags and a triggering system. In this case, the control unit 43 is advantageously connected to the triggering system of the vest by a connection interface 46, preferably wired, and receives from said system the instructions for triggering inflation of the airbags.

In order to withstand the inflation of the airbags, the closure devices 29 of the leggings (and possibly of the belt) advantageously can accommodate a small variation in the length of the strip of fabric forming these leggings, without coming open. In this regard, each closure device preferably comprises hook-and-loop strips at the ends of each strip which are adapted to end up facing one another.

Alternatively, each closure device may comprise several rows of snap-fasteners, such that some of them may detach during inflation.

Finally, one can see that even if the airbags are inflated, the notch 26 at the user's crotch does not hinder the user, particularly in the driving of his or her two-wheeler in the event of an inadvertent triggering.

The structure of the garment, combined with the arrangement of the airbags, therefore provides optimal protection for the user, including in the event of an unexpected triggering of the airbags.

In an advantageous variant of the invention, the notches can be widened while minimizing the garment portions to also allow scooter users to wear this protective garment while minimizing the bulkiness it causes. 

1. A protective garment comprising: a belt, adapted to be positioned around the waist of a user, two leggings, each legging comprising an upper portion intended to be wrapped around a user's thigh, a lower portion intended to be wrapped around a user's calf, and an intermediate portion connecting the upper and lower portions, a plurality of airbags for safety, and a triggering device adapted to trigger inflation of the airbags, wherein the intermediate portion of each legging has no airbag over the front of the user's knee when the legging is in position around the user's leg, and in that wherein the upper portion and lower portion of each legging each comprise at least one airbag arranged adjacent to the notch of the intermediate portion.
 2. The protective garment according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion of each legging has a notch adapted to come over the front of the user's knee when the legging is in position around the user's leg.
 3. The protective garment according to claim 1, each airbag being adapted to have a thickness of at least 3 cm once inflated.
 4. The protective garment according to one of claim 1, wherein the lower portion of each legging comprises an additional airbag arranged opposite the first relative to the first leg when the legging is in position around the user's leg.
 5. The Protective garment according to claims 1, wherein the upper portion of each legging comprises an additional airbag positioned at a distance from the first so as to be on the outer side of the user's thigh when the legging is in position around the user's leg.
 6. The protective garment according to claim 1, wherein the additional airbag of the upper portion of each legging is adapted to have a thickness of between 3 and 8 cm once inflated.
 7. The protective garment according to one of the preceding claims 1, wherein the lower and upper portions of each legging comprise a fastening device chosen from the group consisting of: hook-and-loop strips, and several rows of snap-fasteners.
 8. The protective garment according to claim 1, wherein the triggering device comprises a cartridge of compressed air, an airbag supply circuit connecting the airbags to the cartridge, and a control unit adapted to control the opening of the cartridge of compressed air.
 9. The protective garment according to claim 8, wherein the triggering device further comprises at least one among a speed or acceleration sensor, or comprises an interface for connecting the electronic triggering circuit to a triggering device of another protective garment.
 10. The protective garment according to claims 1, said garment having a notch adapted to come over the crotch of the user when the garment is in position on the user.
 11. The use of a protective garment according to claim 1, when motorcycling, skiing, parachuting, or horseback riding. 